Flue-cleaner.



A. M. BAIRD & G. E. STOLPE.y

FLUE CLEANER, APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1014.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHING/DN, D. C

FLUB CLEANER,

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

La L...

Inventors- A. M. BAIRD & G. E. STOLPE.

( APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1914. 1,1 20,359.

Winesses STATES PATE ELITE-CLEANER.

matassa.

Speccation of Letters atent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914:.

Application led April 2, 1914. Serial No. 829,009.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ARCHIE M. Balm) and Gos'rnvn E. S'roLrn, citizens of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fine-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is a machine for cleaning boiler flues and of the type commonly called rattlers.

The object of our invention is to retain in the cleaning cylinder the lime and scale coming olf of the flues and utilizing such lime and scale for the further cleaning and scouring of the flues.

A further object is to provide for adjusting the cleaner' for any length of flues within a wide range so that the cleaning cylinder can be adjusted to such inside length as to lhold the flues snugly together in `parallel relation during rotation of the cylinder, in

order to obtain uniform cleaning and to prevent injury to the flues.

A further object is to provide for the quick unloading of the contents of the cleaning cylinder.

A further object is to provide in the cleaning cylinder an axially movable bulkhead for adjusting the inside length of the cylinder, and in connection therewith a fluid-pressure cylinder and piston for operating the bulkhead to effect the adjustment and to unload the cylinder.

Further objects appear hereinafter.

Our invention comprises the parts, improvements, and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the description of the drawings we have shown our invention in its preferred form and what we deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof but it is to be understood that, Within the scope of the appended claims, we contemplate changes in form, proportions7 and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a flue cleaner `made in accordance with the principles of our invention. Figs. 2 and 4: are views of opposite ends. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on a plane indicated by the line 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional elevation of portions of the two cylinders, intermediate portions being broken away. Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the connections between the two cylinders. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on a plane indicated by the line 7 in Fig. 6. F ig. S is a horizontal section on a plane indicated by the line 8 in Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The cleaning cylinder, 9, of suitable length to receive flucs of maximum length to be cleaned, is made up of a number of cylindrical sections 10 of boiler plates of substantial thickness, their ends abutting closely together and secured by means of suitable coupling bands 11 and rivets 12 whose inner heads are countersunk, so the inner surface of the cylinder presents a smooth and imperforate surface like a bored cylinder. At one end of the cylinder is a cast head 13 secured thereto by rivets 1G. At the other end is a collar 14 which is secured thereto by means of rivets 15 whose inner heads are countersunk, the collar being rabbeted as shown at 17 for the reception of the plate end, and the collar forming a frame wholly outside the inner surface of the cylinder wall. 18 is a door for the frame, made in two half parts, reinforced by angle bars 19, and mounted on hinges comprising the members 20 secured tothe door sections, the ears or lugs 2l secured to the collar or frame, and the pins 30, so that the doors swing open clear of the opening through the frame. The door sections are secured in closed position by means of key studs 23, 2li, the plates being slotted, 22, to permit their passage over the heads.

For supporting and rotating the cleaning cylinder, we employ the following: 25, 25 are two substantial bands on the outside of the cylinder. adapted to travel in the four flanged friction rollers 26 mounted on shafts 27 having bearings in suitable standards 28, 29, and 3l. Also mounted on each shaft 27 is a gear 32, both being engaged and driven by a gear 33 mounted on a short shaft 311-. having bearings in standards 31 and 35; gear 33 being driven by gear 37 on shaft 36 also having bearings in said standards 31 and 35, and being driven by pulley 80. It is obvious that rotary motion is imparted to the cleaning cylinder by means of the pulley. gearing, and friction rollers just described.

38 is the fluid pressure cylinder, preferably a pipe cylinder of much smaller diameter than the diameter of the cleaning cylinder, and mounted in tandem relation and in axial alinement with the cleaning cylinder. It is closed at the end farther removed from the cleaning cylinder by a removable head 39 and at the other end by a head 40 which forms part of a supporting element hereinafter more fully described. The two heads are provided with openings L1 and 42 respectively with which are connected the branch lines i3 and 44; respectively of the line 45 adapted to convey the pressure fluid from a suitable source of supply, and each branch is provided with a three-way cock 4 6 so that the fluid may be admitted to and exhausted from either end of the-cylinder, at the will of the operator. The head i0 is formed with a stufling box 47, and a gland 49 is adjustably held therein by bolts or screws 50.

51 is a piston-like bulkhead in the cleaning cylinder and capable of movement lengthwise of the cylinder.

52 is a piston within the pressure cylinder.

53 is a piston rod connecting the bulkhead and the piston through the stufling box 47, and of such length that full travel from end to end of the piston within the pressure cylinder causes full travel of the bulkhead from end to end of the flue-cleaning cylinder, approximately. The piston is secured to the bulkhead by means of a flanged sleeve 55 and studs 56, and the enlarged head 5&1-, which connection permits rotary motion of the bulkhead with relation' to the piston rod, and holds the two elements in rigid axial relation to each other. 57 is a bushing where the piston passes through the cylinder head 13.

58 and 59 are transverse partition Walls surrounding the piston rod and formed integrally with the head Ll() through the connecting portions 60 and 65, and'6l is a circular flange also formed integrally therewith and fitting in a corresponding recess 62 is the cylinder head 13. 62 is a two-piece annular plate secure to thehead 13 by studscrews 63 for preventing longitudinal movement of the cleaning cylinder with relation to the collar 61 and head 4:0.

64;, 64 are two blocks loosely andremovably fitting in between the partitions 58 and 59 and respectively between the pis-A tonv rod and the connecting portions 60, 60,

and preferably having babbit metal facings 66 engaging against the rod. IFliese blocks are caused to clamp the rod firmly by driving the wedges 66 down back of the rer spective blocks, and prevent both rotary and axial movement ofY the shaft.

The pressure cylinder is supported by the standard 70 placed near its farther end, and

by the standard 71 which directly supports the casting formed inA part by the cylinder head 40 and in part by the portions 58, 59, 61, 60 and 65.

It will now be understood that the two cylinders are supported in permanent axial relation to each other, and that the cleaning cylinder is free to rotate, though the pressure cylinder is held non-rotatably; also that the bulkhead, piston rod, and piston are held in permanent axial relationship with each other, though the bulkhead is free to rotate,-with the cleaning cylinder; also it will be understood that when the bulkhead is to be moved lengthwise of the cylinder, the blocks and wedges are removed.

To operate our machine: The flues to be cleaned are placed in the cleaning cylinder through the open doors, and the bulkhead is adjusted by admitting the fluid under pressure through the farther end of the pressure cylinder so as to inclose the flues snugly between the doors and the bulkhead and loosely enough to permit their tumbling when the cleaning cylinder is rotated; The bulkhead is held in proper adjusted position by applying the blocks and wedges, the Huid pressure having been relieved so that the piston is neutral. The doors being securely closed, the cleaning cylinder is rotated by the driving gear. The lime and scale which comes ofi' of the ues is kept in the cylinder; it is not permitted to sift through the cylinder, as in dry iue rattlers, nor is it washed away as in the wet rattlers; but is kept in the cylinder to perform the distinct function of aiding in cleaning and scouring the iiues.y By adjusting the inside length of the cylinder to correspond with the length of the flues undergoing treatment, the flues are kept in parallel relation with each other, which insures uniform cleaning and scouring and prevents injury to the flues; whereas, if the inside length of the cylinder were too great for the fines, it would permit the fiues to tumble into various angles to each other, resulting in frag# mentary cleaning andin liability to denting and other injury. When the flues have become cleaned, the driving gear is stopped, the doors' are opened, thevblocks and wedges removed or relieved, and the pressure Huid is admitted to the farther endv of the pressure cylinder in order to drive the bulkhead slowly toward the door andto push the cleaned I'iues and thel lime and scale ahead of it, all out through the open end of the cleaning cylinder. A car or truckmay be placed to receive the flues so discharged. After the loadY is so discharged, the pressure fiuid is exhausted from the farther end of the pressure cylinder and admitted to the near end to return the bulkhead to the end cornmodating the next batch of lues to be cleaned. Adjustment of the bulk-head may be either' before or after, or even during, the loading of the cleaning cylinder.

While We do not limit ourselves to the use of the bands and friction rollers for rotating the cylinder, yet We do lay stress upon this particular means, in that the driving mechanism is all outside the shell, and underneath, and not at the ends, the ends of the cylinder being free :for loading and unloadin and for the piston rod.. The smooth riction rollers are the more economical and dur'able; but in case of necessity cogs may be substituted tor the smooth surfaces olf the rollers and bands.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a suitable supporting frame, a cylinder having impor-forato internally smooth Walls, a door closing one end of the cylinder, means for rotating the cylinder, a bulkhead within the cylinder and movable axially of the cylinder, a stationary fluid-pressure cylinder arranged in tandem relation and in axial alinement with the first-named cylinder, a piston in the pressure cylinder', a piston rod secured to said piston and to said bulkhead, said bulkhead having rotary motion with relation to the piston rod, means for admitting pressure fluid to and exhausting it from the pressure cylinder' on either side of the piston, and means for clamping the piston rod in adjusted position.

2. The combination of a rotary cylinder having imperiorate Walls, a door closing one end of the cylinder, a bulkhead having axial movement Within the cylinder, a piston rod secured at one end to said bulkhead so the bulkhead has rotary motion with relation to the piston rod, said piston rod extending out through the other end of the cylinder', a pressure cylinder in tandem relation With the rotary cylinder', a piston in the pressure cylinder secured to the other end of the piston rod, and means for furnishing and controlling fluid under pressure to said pressure cylinder.

3. rlhe combination of a rotary cylinder and a pressure cylinder of approximately the same length and arranged in tandem relation, a bulkhead in the rotary cylinder,

a piston in the pressure cylinder, and a piston rod connecting `the bulk head and the piston.

4i. The combination of a rotary cleaning cylinder' and a pressure cylinder of approximately the same length and arranged in tandem relation and in axial alinement, a bulkhead in the cleaning cylinder, a piston in the pressure cylinder, and a piston rod connecting the bulkhead and the piston, said bulkhead and piston having axial movement within the respective cylinders in unison.

5. The combination of a rotary horizon* tally disposed cleaning cylinder having one end open, a cylinder head in the other end, a means ior closing said open end, a bulkhead movable axially Within the cylinder', a fluid-pressure cylinder arranged in tandem relation and in axial alinement with the cleaning cylinder', a piston in the pressure cylinder, a piston rod extending through said cylinder' head and connected at one end to said piston and at the other end to the bulkhead, said last-named connection being such as to permit the bulkhead to have rotary motion with relation to the piston rod, means for holding the two cylinders against relative axial movement, and means for holding the bulkhead against axial motion.

G. In a flue cleaner', the combination of a horizontally disposed rotary cleaning cylinder having irnperforate internally smooth walls, and an axially adjustable bulkhead within said cylinder.

7. In a flue cleaner, the combination of a horizontally disposed rotary cleaning cylinder having imperforate internally smooth Walls and having an open end, means for closing said end, an axially movable bulkhead Within the cylinder, means 'lor moving said bulkhead axially to adjust the inside Working length of the cylinder' and to discharge the load through the open end, and means :for holding the bulkhead in adjusted position.

y In testimony whereof We have ailixed our signatures in presence of tivo Witnesses.

ARCI-IIE M. BARD. GUSTAVE E. STOLPE.

Witnesses:

C. J. Rosen, J. M. STARK.

Gomes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents.

Washington, D. C. 

